Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters .300 WBY vs. .300 Win. - Realistic Expectations

Yeah those pre and XTR M70 stocks with the dinky MC were right out a hell, put a Limbsaver on my 338 and it's now shootable with full throttle loads using the 275 Speer. Sure that is right out there in yowy /owy country. MB

The loading manuals I like best are the last two Nosler Manuals - I have a few manuals. I use Gun Gack 1 and 2 a lot, and Ken Waters Pet Loads Complete Volume, though my choice of bullets don't always jive with the sage - Mr. Waters. I had Handloader and Rifle magazines back to issue one, but lost about half in a move.

Some authors and many early manuals push the limits further than I care to. I've been a little frustrated with the lack of data on RE 26, though that has been improving quite a bit on the internet. I think that RE 26 would be a good option with the heavier bullets in these cartridges.

It seems that Mono bullets were written about in quite a flurry for a while. I have not heard much lately.

My 300 Weatherby is on it's way. I've been at the bench a bit with the Win Mag in the last week or two.

I have a few boxes of 180 grain, 200 grain and 220 grain partitions and a couple boxes of mono bullets of different weights. If I get the notion, I'll shoot dry newspaper with these bullets, but so far the ambition hasn't been there. I'd like to see how much penetration these bullets in the 300's will do.

I have a box of 220 grain Hornady Interlocks, but I've had no luck in any rifle I've tried them in as far as accuracy.

I have to agree with Bwalker on his velocity figures. Have a lot of experience with those 4 cartridges and his numbers are spot on. My favorite is the .300Wby for mainly nostalgic reasons, but also because I love MkV rifles. There is very little that can't be done with a 180gr Partition going 3200fps from an accurate barrel, Cheers....

FWIW- I firmly believe that your choice of 180-200gr Partitions in the .300wby is very good.
Most folks rave about the Accubonds, but I have recovered EVERY one that I have shot into both elk and mule deer, and all have lost a lot of weight. 2 yrs ago in Wyoming I put a 200gr AB from my .300 way into the front shoulder knuckle of a very big bull at 408 yds.
It shattered the shoulder big time, but only penetrated 8". It did not make it into the chest cavity at all and only weighs 59grs. He made it about 40yds and was shot again frontally, which ended it quickly. That bullet was lost in the lung soup.
A better choice would have been the Partition or the Barnes TSX/LRX .......
Next time I will be using a 180 Trophy Bonded Tip as they have shown good performance in my expansion/penetration tests and need more field tests to make any useful determinations. 40yrs of field tests with the Partition has shown me how good they really are......... Cheers

Just to pour gasoline on the fire or FAR as we say in Texas. Which one is more accurate? The Winchester has a proven accuracy record for 1000 yard competition and as a sniper round. The Weatherby has won some matches but you practically never see it on the winners list except maybe in some unlimited guns.

I can't shoot mine worth beans but it is good enough that even with my shooting the 300 Win. appears to be an inherently accurate cartridge, whatever that is. The Weatherby, maybe it's the the misteek that intimadates me, or the mojo is not working, but it seems in my shaky hands to not automatically lay them in there like the Winchester. But not a fair comparison, Weatherby stock doesn't fit me well, all the Weatherby's were factory and all the Winchester had Krieger or other custom barrels.

I’ve owned several in both chamberings and like them both! I prefer the Wby with 200gr bullets just because there’s virtually no powder compaction. And it’s easy 3000 FPS with them makes it a great elk or moose killer at any range. Accuracy in my rifles has been very good with either one, custom stocks and Krieger barrels seem to do that when put together by a competent builder. I guess if limited to just one I’d pick the Wby because I prefer the rifle it’s chambered in.

I remember more than just one writer not being able to get more velocity out of a 340 Wby than the 338 WM. (The same thing was evidently happening with the 300.) See Bob Hagel’s article on the 340 Handloader 77 January - February 1979. Bob mentioned in his 340 article that,
“Most if the data compiled in various reloading manuals for the 340 Weatherby were almost certainly taken with the older softer brass.”
He also mentioned soft brass for the Wby when he had first tested the Wby.

Regarding the 300 see Bob Hagel’s Article on the 300 Wby. - Handloader number 76. November - December 1978.

Bob was writing that he got higher velocity out of the Win Mag than the Wby. He seemed puzzled regarding different velocity issues, 4350 and 4831 and other things. He felt that Weatherby didn’t care so much about case live and that was how they got the higher velocity than Bob did.

Towards the end of the 300 article Bob addressed case strength.

Bob was using Mark V’s in his articles.

Interesting history on Wby vs competitor Winchester.